I landed in Austin Friday, smack dab in a big ole pile of crazy.
If I could describe this event/place, I’d say take ALA, subtract a little bit of the cat fanaticism, add some people in squirrel suits, branding on every building in downtown, and a mess of tech and art geeks. Put in a blender and serve.
This is my first “South by” (pro tip: You don’t call SXSW by its full name. Apparently “Southwest” takes too much time to say), and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad overwhelmed.
While a lot of this is true for any major conference, here’s what I’ve learned so far:
1. Wear good walking shoes. Your feet are your best friend in this wild adventure, and you’ve gotta take care of them.
2. Make a plan, then throw it out the window. I have a list of sessions and meet-ups to go to, but I’ve already veered wildly off course. And that’s okay. See where Austin takes you.
3. Be prepared. Get your external chargers, plenty of water—it’s Texas! It’s hot!—vitamin C, etc.
4. It’s okay to take a break. At one point in the afternoon, I had to take a break. Between sessions and meet-ups and oh-my-goodness-all-the-people! One can get a little overloaded.
5. Don’t be afraid to say hello. With the aforementioned glut of people and connections, it’s a crime to squander potential opportunities. Hello is the first step to a new friendship/partnership.
I exercised a lot of rule number 5 at the Unofficial Library Meet-Up Friday evening. It was a welcome sight to see some familiar faces and to just be among my people.
We talked about the power of libraries to change and influence lives; the value of teaching tech skills to underserved communities, and more. There were more than 50 librarians at that meet-up; we’re rolling DEEP this year.
Rule number 5 also hints at why more librarians are coming to South by Southwest. For all its sheer pandemonium, SXSW offers us the opportunity to spread the word to others outside the library world about the great things we’re doing. SXSW offers librarians the opportunity to create new advocates outside of our libraries. And SXSW offers us the chance to find new partners in the quest to make our spaces even greater. In other words, it gives us a chance to turn love into action.
I’ll be back with dispatches from Saturday’s sessions and meet-ups, and I’ll let you know how I’m doing in the quest to turn love into action.
